The agreement adds to a series of recent defense transactions between Israel and the United States.
By Shula Rosen
Boeing has signed a $289 million agreement to supply Israel with as many as 5,000 air-launched smart bombs, a source told Reuters on Tuesday.
The weapons included in the deal are Boeing’s Small Diameter Bomb, a precision-guided munition that Israeli aircraft can fire at targets located more than 40 miles (64 kilometers) away.
Bloomberg News reported earlier, citing a person familiar with the matter, that the contract is unrelated to the ongoing US-Israeli air strikes on Iran.
According to the report, shipments of the munitions are not expected to begin for 36 months.
The agreement adds to a series of recent defense transactions between Israel and the United States, which remains the largest supplier of military equipment to the country.
Earlier this year, the US State Department approved more than $6.5 billion in three separate potential military sales to Israel. Those approvals included Boeing Apache helicopters.
Additional arms transfers have also moved forward through other channels.
Reuters reported last week that US President Donald Trump’s administration used emergency authority to bypass Congress and accelerate the sale of more than 20,000 bombs to Israel valued at around $650 million.
Separately, a State Department official said on Saturday that Israel will purchase another $298 million in critical munitions through direct commercial sales.
Boeing has also secured major aircraft contracts tied to Israel’s military modernization. Last year, the Pentagon awarded the company an $8.6 billion contract to manufacture and deliver F-15 fighter jets to Israel under a foreign military sale between the two governments.
The Small Diameter Bomb system included in the new agreement is designed to allow aircraft to strike targets from significant distances while maintaining precision.
The $289 million deal expands Boeing’s role in supplying munitions and aircraft to Israel as defense cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem continues through government and commercial agreements.
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